Lubbock High, Plainview scrap for season-changing victory

Wednesday

Shane Stephen was eager to show off the new additions to Lubbock High's Chapman Field about 26 hours to kickoff.

There are new golden boards that lay out team goals and a couple of new machines in the weight room. They're small pieces in his goal to change the culture of the Westerners football program.

The biggest piece, he admits, is still out there.

He ultimately needs to lead his new team to wins, and his 7 p.m. Thursday game against Plainview at PlainsCapital Park's Lowrey Field is a promising opportunity between two teams still trying to find their identities.

"Lubbock High hasn't had a culture of winning and hasn't really had a taste of it," Stephen said after Wednesday's walk through. "We're trying to focus on ourselves and trying to develop that winning culture. It takes time. We were close last week and had chances two or three times and just didn't quite break through. We're hoping we can put a full game together and that the kids will continue to battle."

Stephen rode home from Borger last week with a devastated group of players who had battled 48 minutes before losing 24-23 in overtime and falling to 0-2 overall.

But there were promising moments just as there had been in a 21-7 loss against Seminole the week before.

Senior quarterback Noah Gutierrez continued to be one of the most productive dual-threat athletes in the area by accumulating 428 total yards and having a hand in all five touchdowns scored this season. Additionally, neither team managed to pull away against the defense.

Plainview (0-2) may indeed have played a tougher two-game schedule, but its results have been disappointing in the eyes of coach Ryan Rhoades. The Bulldogs lost key running back Andrew Villa in their first game — he's considered day-to-day — and have mustered seven points all season against Levelland and Amarillo Caprock.

There's not one team that could use the win less than the other.

"Our team has good leadership," Rhoades said Wednesday via phone. "Our team has good character guys. Those things are invaluable to a team and things that will sustain them in not so fun times. The first two weeks of our season have been not so fun. We got a lot better in Week 2 as opposed to Week 1, but I don't know if we're even an average team yet. Not for lack of trying, effort or character, but we just haven't executed. We're focused on becoming the team we could be."

Gutierrez could be the key to Lubbock High earning its first win since Oct. 20.

He's leading a spread offense that has generated big plays in both of its games and is looking for a little more consistency closer toward the end zone. Plainview's defense is being asked to hold games together while the offense gets itself into shape.

The Bulldogs do have tradition on their side.

Just last season, the team broke through for a Class 5A Division II bidistrict berth.

"Everybody has a good attitude around here," Gutierrez said. "It doesn't feel like we're on a slippery slope. Nobody's giving up. We lost the first game and got stronger. We came up short, so I'm pretty sure we're even hungrier for the W this week."

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